Teen paints pictures on windows at rehab center

Published: Wednesday, January 3, 2007 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, January 3, 2007 at 12:00 a.m.

She stands for hours with a paintbrush in her hand, listening to music through her headphones. Aimee Hanley, 18-year-old daughter of Barbara and David Hanley of Dunnellon, loves to paint. For more than two years she has been volunteering at Ocala Health & Rehabilitation Center.
The general meeting room, known as the "fish bowl," is surrounded by glass-paned windows measuring about 4 feet high and 30 inches wide. Hanley uses that glass to produce beautiful artwork on the seven windows. It takes about two and a half days to finish one painting. Acrylics do not stick well on glass.
Many of her pieces are Thomas Kincaid-inspired, but others are her own creation. On one side of the glassed-in room are four windows. Hanley used her imagination to create three winter scenes, and one called the "Chinese Lady." A resident of the center often frequents that particular window.
"She comes almost every day to talk to the Chinese woman," Hanley said.
On the other three windows she was in the process of painting a Kincaid-inspired scene.
"I got the idea from a postcard," Hanley said, "but broke the picture up into three separate panels, making enough changes in the paintings to end up with something of my own."
The themes of the artwork are often changed. Each set stays up about three months, and then Hanley starts again with a new set. Holidays are often incorporated into her artwork - Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and Valentine's Day are a few she has used. Other paintings are seasonal.
Hanley attends Central Florida Community College, striving for a degree in animal science.
"I want to become a veterinarian," she said.
She does not, however, intend to give up her art. Hanley started painting in the sixth grade, and she likes to work in different mediums.
"I love to work with cardboard," Hanley said.
For example, she had a photo on cardboard of her sister in her National Guard uniform. She cut the cardboard up in pieces. On another board she rearranged the pieces and added an eagle, feathers on the bird, and stars for the flag in the background.
"By working with the basic photo, I was able to specialize it into something very special," she said. "It was interesting to do."
Hanley and her family moved to Dunnellon from Florence, Wis. She has two sisters.

<b>S</b>he stands for hours with a paintbrush in her hand, listening to music through her headphones. Aimee Hanley, 18-year-old daughter of Barbara and David Hanley of Dunnellon, loves to paint. For more than two years she has been volunteering at Ocala Health & Rehabilitation Center.<BR>
The general meeting room, known as the "fish bowl," is surrounded by glass-paned windows measuring about 4 feet high and 30 inches wide. Hanley uses that glass to produce beautiful artwork on the seven windows. It takes about two and a half days to finish one painting. Acrylics do not stick well on glass.<BR>
Many of her pieces are Thomas Kincaid-inspired, but others are her own creation. On one side of the glassed-in room are four windows. Hanley used her imagination to create three winter scenes, and one called the "Chinese Lady." A resident of the center often frequents that particular window.<BR>
"She comes almost every day to talk to the Chinese woman," Hanley said.<BR>
On the other three windows she was in the process of painting a Kincaid-inspired scene.<BR>
"I got the idea from a postcard," Hanley said, "but broke the picture up into three separate panels, making enough changes in the paintings to end up with something of my own."<BR>
The themes of the artwork are often changed. Each set stays up about three months, and then Hanley starts again with a new set. Holidays are often incorporated into her artwork - Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and Valentine's Day are a few she has used. Other paintings are seasonal.<BR>
Hanley attends Central Florida Community College, striving for a degree in animal science.<BR>
"I want to become a veterinarian," she said.<BR>
She does not, however, intend to give up her art. Hanley started painting in the sixth grade, and she likes to work in different mediums.<BR>
"I love to work with cardboard," Hanley said.<BR>
For example, she had a photo on cardboard of her sister in her National Guard uniform. She cut the cardboard up in pieces. On another board she rearranged the pieces and added an eagle, feathers on the bird, and stars for the flag in the background.<BR>
"By working with the basic photo, I was able to specialize it into something very special," she said. "It was interesting to do."<BR>
Hanley and her family moved to Dunnellon from Florence, Wis. She has two sisters.<BR>